Man charged with murder in death of Worcester woman at Auburn Mall

WORCESTER — A 27-year-old city man has been charged with murder in the death of a woman whose body was discovered Tuesday in the Auburn Mall parking garage.

Vu Van Ngo of 201 Dana Ave. was arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Central District Court on charges of murder and misleading a police investigation in the apparent shooting death of Nhung Nguyen. Police said Ms. Nguyen's daughter told them Mr. Ngo drove Ms. Nguyen to and from her job each day at the Worcester Envelope Co. in Auburn.

Judge Steven E. Thomas entered not-guilty pleas on Mr. Ngo's behalf and ordered that he be held without bail without prejudice. The judge continued Mr. Ngo's case to March 19.

According to a statement of facts filed in court by investigators, Auburn police received an emergency call shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday that a woman who was bleeding and unresponsive had been found partially under a vehicle parked on the ground level in the east parking deck at the Auburn Mall.

Emergency medical personnel and police went to the scene and the victim, identified as Ms. Nguyen, 46, was taken by ambulance to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, where she was pronounced dead. Assistant District Attorney Jeffrey T. Travers told Judge Thomas that Ms. Nguyen's injuries were consistent with a homicide and that a .22-caliber shell casing had been found near her body.

A joint investigation by state police detectives assigned to the office of District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. and Auburn police revealed that Ms. Nguyen worked at the Worcester Envelope Co., which is located a short distance from the mall, according to the police statement.

Ms. Nguyen's daughter, with whom she lived at 29 Freeland St., told police her mother had informed her that she was leaving work about 3 p.m. and expected to be home by 3:30 p.m. She also said her mother received a daily ride to and from work by a man known as Vu, who was the friend of a family relative, according to the police account.

A neighbor on Freeland Street said he often saw Ms. Nguyen, whom he described as a pleasant and friendly woman, waiting outside for her ride to work.

Vu was later identified as Mr. Ngo.

Officer Vincent S. Ross said he spoke to Mr. Ngo on the telephone and he volunteered to come to the Auburn station to speak to investigators. Under questioning by Officer Ross and Trooper Kevin Dwyer, Mr. Ngo allegedly said he drove Ms. Nguyen to work Tuesday and left work with her later in the day with the intent of driving her home.

Mr. Ngo initially said he drove directly from Worcester Envelope to 29 Freeland St., without making any stops in between, according to police. About an hour later, he allegedly admitted stopping in the parking lot of the Auburn Mall with Ms. Nguyen, according to Officer Ross's court filing.

Police said the admission came only after Mr. Ngo learned that a witness had seen a vehicle identical to his, with a lone male occupant fitting his description, being driven erratically from the mall during the snowstorm. Mr. Ngo said he drove Ms. Nguyen to the mall and left her there, according to Mr. Travers.

The mall garage doesn't have any video surveillance, a fact that has long been a source of concern for Auburn police, even before the discovery of Ms. Nguyen's body there on Tuesday afternoon.

The prosecutor also said that investigators recovered what was believed to be blood evidence from Mr. Ngo's vehicle and a .22-caliber weapon from his house.

Mr. Travers said Mr. Ngo has a "significant" criminal record in Massachusetts that includes crimes of violence and warrants pending for his arrest in Louisiana. In asking that the suspect be held without bail, Mr. Travers told the court Mr. Ngo posed a risk of flight if not in custody.